A True Friend
by Zanza8
Summary: A missing moment from Phantoms, filling in the time at the end between Sheppard finding Beckett and back at the cave with McKay complaining. No slash.


A true friend is someone who sees the pain in your eyes when everyone else believes the smile on your face.

"I can't believe you shot me!" Rodney McKay's aggrieved cry rang around the clearing and Teyla's jaw tightened. She started to get up, only to be brought up short by Beckett's hand on her arm.

"What do you think you're doin', lass?" asked the kindly Scottish doctor.

"I am going to talk to Dr McKay," she said coldly. "He knows perfectly well it was the fault of the alien generator that he was injured but he continues to complain and to reproach John."

Beckett looked thoughtfully at Sheppard, thinking of the moment the colonel found him after it was all over.

 _Sheppard ran up to Beckett, seeing Kagan in the doctor's arms and asking the question with his eyes. Beckett sighed. "He's alive."_

 _"Good. Let's get him back to the cave." Sheppard grabbed the wounded man and slung him over his shoulder and Beckett protested._

 _"Go easy, man! He's in bad shape!"_

 _The colonel was already jogging back. "Move! Rodney's been shot."_

 _McKay was half on his side, blood pooling under him, as Sheppard and Beckett ran into the clearing outside the cave. The colonel set Kagan down by Teyla, then dropped to his knees next to Mckay, clutching his shoulder. "Oh, God, Rodney, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" He choked on unshed tears and Beckett hurried to the scientist, gently rolling him on his back._

 _"Rodney? Can you hear me?"_

 _McKay moaned and opened his eyes. "Carson? How's Kagan?"_

 _"Not so good but at least now we have a fighting chance. You did good, lad."_

 _McKay smiled a little, then became aware of the other man leaning over him. "Are you okay?"_

 _Sheppard's face was as white as McKay's and his eyes were glassy but he managed a smile. "Yeah, sure, I'm fine. I'm not the one who got shot. I'm sorry, Rodney, I didn't know what I was doing."_

 _McKay regarded Sheppard for a moment, gathered his strength, and whined, "I can't believe you shot me! I know it wasn't your fault…" His eyes locked on the soldier's and held them as he went on, "but even though you were totally under control of an alien device and you couldn't help yourself, you shouldn't have been so trigger-happy." He took on a virtuous tone. "I was under its influence too, you know, and I didn't shoot anybody. Of course my brain is a lot more advanced than yours, but even so…"_

 _Beckett was probing and stitching and bandaging, breathing a sigh of relief that the wound was a clean through-and-through and his patient hadn't lost a dangerous amount of blood, but while he worked, he observed with hidden interest that as McKay poured his laments on Sheppard's head, the colonel started to get his color back and his hands relaxed. Finally he let go of McKay's shoulder and sat back on his heels, his eyes losing the glassy stare and starting to twinkle. "Looks like you're going to live."_

 _"No thanks to you," huffed McKay. "The least you could do is find me a Power Bar. I need to build up my strength."_

 _Sheppard felt in his vest. "There you go, Rodney. Peanut butter. Your favorite." He handed it to McKay, who unwrapped it and took a massive bite, then reached out for Sheppard's hand. "I meant what I said, you know. If your brain was more advanced, you wouldn't have been so totally under control of that device." He squeezed the soldier's hand and Sheppard finally gave him a lopsided grin and got to his feet._

 _"Just rest, okay? You'll be fine."_

 _"Once I get over being shot." McKay smiled and Sheppard walked away, his head up and the bounce back in his step._

"I can't believe you shot me!" Rodney McKay's aggrieved cry rang around the clearing and Teyla's jaw tightened. She started to get up, only to be brought up short by Beckett's hand on her arm.

"What do you think you're doin', lass?" asked the kindly Scottish doctor.

"I am going to talk to Dr McKay," she said coldly. "He knows perfectly well it was the fault of the alien generator that he was injured but he continues to complain and to reproach John."

Beckett looked thoughtfully at Sheppard, thinking of the moment the colonel found him after it was all over.

"Teyla, I don't pretend to understand how it works between those two, but trust me, right now that complaining is just what the Colonel needs."


End file.
